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EBCI To Begin Re-Opening Friday

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), the State of North Carolina, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are beginning to re-open phases of their operations and economy.  Some of these phases will begin on Friday, May 8.  Principal Chief Richard G. Sneed announced in Executive Order # 11,  the beginning phases of re-opening for the EBCI.  The main one will be the removal of all checkpoints at the three main entrances to the Qualla Boundary as well as all barricades on other smaller entrances on Friday, May 8 at 10 p.m.  The curfew for the Qualla Boundary will also be lifted at this time.  Chief Sneed’s executive order is mandating that cloth face masks must be worn by everyone in “public spaces”, and the order allows church services to operate at 20 percent capacity with senior citizens and those with compromised immune systems being encouraged not to attend.  While the main checkpoints will be removed, a new one will be installed at the Food Lion shopping plaza so that the area can only be accessed by residents of the Qualla Boundary.  Several outdoor activities in Cherokee will open to the general public on Friday, May 15 including the Fire Mountain Trails, Cherokee Skate Park, and the Oconaluftee Island Park. Cherokee Enterprise Waters will open that day as well for fishing for people not enrolled with the EBCI. 

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